Speaker

Vik Olliver

The RepRap Project

Vik Olliver is a longhair software writer and replicator developer from
New Zealand's Waitakere rainforest. Born in the UK, he emigrated to NZ
in 1994 with his wife Suz and daughters Kate & Tamara. He has worked on
projects ranging from implantable heart monitors to launching
satellites, and from urban self-sufficiency to hydroponics in moonrock.
He has also done enough journalism to get the shakes if he doesn't write
articles occasionally, but could give it up any time he likes. He has
done so many times.

Vik is a staunch supporter of Open Source, Open Standards and an Open
society. He has persuaded companies and retailers to pick up the Open
Source banner, and represented New Zealand as a regional delegate at
LinuxConf Australia.

Since 2003 Vik has been deeply embroiled in the development of a
practical replicating fabricator as part of the Bath University's Open
Source RepRap Project. This follows on from some of his earlier work on
fabrication using lunar resources with the Moon Society, and combines
most of the skills he has picked up so far to form an enjoyable and
useful hobby. He hopes the RepRap will do for hardware what Linux and
GNU have done for software and wants to find a 10th generation RepRap in
every home.

When not involved in the above, or working on his day job where he
develops mobile phone portals for telcos, Vik is probably on a callout
with the Laingholm Volunteer Fire Brigade as part of their medical First
Response unit.